Black and Gold
by magentamom
Summary: I had no intention of writing another story, and then, a scene or two came to me; I started thinking about Jeff's ties to my hometown, and, well, here it begins. It's a sequel of sorts to Restoration, but can easily stand alone.
1. Chapter 1

Aug. 23, 1941, Massachusetts

Phineas Bogg took a hard tackle from Jack and fell to the ground, dropping the football and pushing up the sleeves on his blue-checked flannel shirt. He heard Jeffrey laughing at him, and teasingly raised a fist at the boy standing not far off and running interference for the other "team."

Bogg smiled. It was a wonderful sound to hear, Jeff laughing. It was almost impossible to believe that six months ago, he was so eager to drop the child off at Voyager Headquarters for reassignment to someone, really anyone, who had an interest in acting as a trainer. But one mission had led to the next, and he'd enjoyed getting to know this child, brilliant and brave but also very broken by the tragedy in his past. Jeffrey was so confident one minute and yet so clearly scared to death he'd be abandoned the next. Bogg thought Jeff was becoming surer of his situation and believed that he could depend on his mentor to be there.

"And I intend to be. Who knew?" Bogg thought as he picked himself up from the ground and got back to the game. They really should be leaving, but Bogg wanted Jeff to enjoy just a bit of time to do ordinary kid things. OK, well, maybe joining the Kennedy clan for one of their famed Hyannis Port football games wasn't exactly ordinary. The job jaded you to that sort of thing, Bogg acknowledged, but it was closer than most of what they did.

Jeffrey was clearly enjoying himself, and was easily outrunning the 9-year-old Ted. The kid wasn't so lucky with Bobby, though, and yelled in frustration as the teen took what had seemed to be a likely catch away from him.

"See how it feels!" Bogg yelled jokingly to Jeff before cheering on his teammate. "Go, Bobby!"

Jeff tried to give his mentor a convincing glare but ended up laughing himself.

The game wrapped up, and young Ted was clearly thrilled to be on the winning team in this very competitive family. He gave Bogg a grin and ran back toward the house.

It was still a green light. Jack Kennedy had been dissuaded from eloping before his naval assignment began the next month, leaving himself free to meet and marry the storied Jacqueline Bouvier years later.

Bogg looked at the family, thinking of the unimaginable tragedies to come and was almost overwhelmed for a moment. But for now, it was just a beautiful late summer day enjoyed by family and friends.

"Sometimes," Bogg thought, "you just have to grab those and not worry about the rest."

He smiled as Jeff came up to him. The kid was slightly sunburned and brushing the dirt from his clothing. The sparkle in his eyes made Bogg very glad he'd decided to extend the assignment just a little.

"That was great!" the boy said "Even if my team did lose."

"Points for good sportsmanship, kid," Bogg said. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Jeff said setting his jaw into his more serious "Voyager" look. It was all Bogg could do not to laugh again, but he was also proud of the sincere dedication the kid showed to the job.


	2. Chapter 2

June 16, 1932, Pittsburgh

Bogg looked over at Jeff; they'd landed hard on the steep cobblestoned street, and he wanted to be sure the boy wasn't injured.

Jeff looked up with irritation, knowing the question to come, "I'm OK. I'm not made of glass, you know."

"I know, you're much sterner stuff. I just wanted to be sure. Can't have headquarters raising my insurance premiums, after all," Bogg replied.

"Bogg! You're ridiculous sometimes!"

"Hmmm. Only sometimes? I've made progress in the past few months, then," he said, propping himself up on his elbow with his head leaning on his hand. He looked at the boy with a glint of mischief.

Jeff rolled his eyes, but he couldn't resist a small smile, and when Bogg smiled back, the boy started to laugh.

"OK," Jeff said. "So let's get out of the street, and where are we anyway?"

"Out of the street is an excellent suggestion, and …" Bogg pulled out the omni as they headed for the sidewalk. "Pittsburgh, June 16, 1932."

"Oh," Jeff said in a voice that was suddenly quiet and flat. Any lingering laughter in the tone was gone. "Pittsburgh."

"Yeah, Pittsburgh. Why? What's the matter with Pittsburgh?" Bogg asked. "Pretty smoky, I guess, and you won't be surprised to hear there's a red light, but otherwise, it looks like a perfectly nice town."

Jeff looked at him bitterly, "But you promised … oh, forget it."

"I promised what?" Bogg asked, sincerely confused and trying to sort through every word he'd said to Jeffrey over the past six months. "Jeff you have to tell me what's bothering you about this particular time zone. I'm not a mind reader. If we have to, we'll call in backup, but I can't help if I don't know."

"It's Pittsburgh," Jeff shouted. "You're trying to look for another set of my relatives to dump me with!"

"Oh," Bogg drew in his breath. He'd honestly forgotten the city where he and Jeff had encountered Jeff's great-grandparents Stephen and Amy Jones. The city had held little relevance to Bogg. He knew the mission and the key players and had a job to do. It could have been Poughkeepsie or Paris, as far as he was concerned.

What he did recall was how hard it had been to walk out of that house with the intention of leaving Jeffrey, even knowing that the child would be loved and cared for. It had broken Bogg's heart to do it, and he remembered his sense of relief when the child loudly informed Bogg that he had other plans. "What do you think you're doing?" Jeff had shouted.

And Bogg wondered that himself. He didn't mind the boy thinking his mentor was slightly dim; it encouraged Jeff to think for himself. But Phineas had to admit that, at least that time, he really was just being "stupid," as the kid would put it. How could he leave Jeffrey with anyone else? It seemed as incredible a thought as having a partner at all seemed before Drake and the witch trials and jumping out of a window to save this boy.

Jeffrey's breath was becoming labored as he tried not to cry outright. Bogg crouched to be closer to the boy's eye level and put his hands on the child's shaking shoulders.

"Jeffrey," he said in a low, soothing voice. The child continued to tremble and stare at the ground. "Jeff, please, look at me."

The dark eyes that looked up were filled with unshed tears, and Bogg again recognized that despite all of Jeffrey's intelligence, strength and resolve, he remained a boy whose world had been shattered less than a year ago.

"Jeff, I did promise, and I meant it. We've talked about this before, and I'm not dumping you anywhere, no matter how many times I might have threatened that first week," Bogg started, his light blue eyes staring into Jeff's. He hoped he saw maybe a small spark of laughter in Jeff's eyes at that.

Bogg continued: "I'm not looking for any of your long-lost relatives. I don't know why we might be in Pittsburgh, but I swear the omni was in automatic. This is an entirely different time zone, and your great-grandparents aren't here. It's where we are supposed to be. Not just me, not just you, but *we* need to be here. I know I'll need your help to fix this red light.

"And when we're done, we will travel out of here together. Do you understand?"

Jeff nodded and swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, Bogg, but I just …"

Bogg hugged the boy tightly, "Yeah, I know. But you know this: Your parents didn't want to leave you, Jeff. I'm sure of that. And I'm not going anywhere."

Jeffrey Jones wiped his eyes and squared his shoulders. "Like a bad penny, Bogg?"

"Yeah, I'll always turn up," the Voyager answered, straightening and starting to look at the surroundings. "So, do we continue to exchange cliches or move on to resolving this red light?"

"Pittsburgh, 1932, it's not ringing any bells," Jeff said.

"Definitely ringing some for the omni. We'll figure it out," Bogg replied.


	3. Chapter 3

June 16, 1932

Jeff had calmed down, and he started to look around.

"Hey, Bogg, Penn Station," he said pointing at an impressive brown building not far ahead.

"I thought that was in New York," Bogg said.

"Yeah, definitely one there," he said, looking at Bogg as if he was surprised his mentor would remember.

"I think this is officially Union Station in Pittsburgh, but Pap-Pap always called it Penn Station. It has the neatest rotunda. I used to visit my grandparents when I was a little kid, and this is where they'd pick me up" Jeff said excitedly. Bogg smiled, Jeff spoke of his time as a "little" kid the way only a 12-year-old could, implying it was a long time ago.

"Last week?" Bogg chuckled to himself. He knew better than to say it aloud, but he was looking at a child he could still pick up in one arm when it was necessary.

"Pap-Pap died not long before my parents," Jeff suddenly pronounced. "Heart attack. The last time I was in Pittsburgh – well before when we were here, or I guess it was well after, because obviously my grandfather had to be born after I met my great-grandparents, and he didn't die until.... This is all really confusing sometimes," Jeff was continuing to ramble, and his eyes grew darker and looked farther and farther away. Bogg put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just follow your own thoughts, Jeff. You don't need to sort out every intricacy of the time stream looking at your own life. When was it for you?" Bogg said.

"The last time I came here, it was with my parents, for the funeral," Jeff said with a nod, as if satisfying the requirements for a quiz and looking up at Phineas Bogg waiting for approval. "That's definitely right."

Bogg nodded, and looking at Jeff's face, pale under the sunburn, he wished he'd just immediately omni'd them both out of Pittsburgh, 1932, red light or no. Headquarters could have found someone, and this mission seemed to be breaking Jeffrey.

"Hey kid, how about we take a break for a while? I got clobbered in that game back in Massachusetts, and I'm sore where I didn't know I had muscles," Bogg said with a sheepish grin, hoping Jeff might agree to a pause if he thought it was for the sake of his partner.

"But it's a red light, Bogg, what if we miss whatever it is we're supposed to fix? You can't be so sore it's worth that," Jeffrey said.

"Yeah, you're right kid. OK, we'll keep looking," Bogg replied grimly, watching Jeff's face closely. "Let's go inside. Looks like rain, and maybe I can at least find a bench, right? We'll let the revolution find us this time?"

"Sure, Bogg."

Bogg watched Jeffrey's uncharacteristically slow stride as he headed into the station.

"Smart kids give me a pain," Bogg thought sardonically. "I wish this one didn't give himself so much."


	4. Chapter 4

June 16, 1932, Pittsburgh, Union Station

Bogg's eyes swept the room watching for anything, but he found a spot on a bench, hoping Jeff might settle for a few moments, at least. He was relieved as Jeffrey sat next to him.

"You know, Bogg, they did play a pretty tough game," the boy said, sounding a bit more like himself. Jeff leaned back against his partner and stared at the intricate ceiling of the rotunda. "It's something, isn't it?"

Bogg glanced up, not really seeing the ceiling but nonetheless responding, "Yeah, kid, it is."

Bogg knew that Jeff was resilient and he also knew the kid wasn't about to agree to leave a time zone with a red light just because Bogg was worried about the boy's emotions on this mission. He might be new at this, but he'd learned enough to know that even bringing that up would lead to an argument and more hurt feelings. His lips turned up as he heard inside his head the inevitable, "I'm not a baby, Bogg." Instead, Bogg let the boy relax against him and lightly put an arm around the child's shoulders.

Across the way, a man in his early 30s chomped a cigar and looked at the racing forms. A very pregnant woman sat on the bench next to him, her face filled with irritation.

Jeff had nearly started to dose, sunbaked and a bit overwrought from the day. He wished he could keep himself from acting like such a baby. He was annoying himself; he could only imagine what Bogg must think. Still, he felt comfortable and safe for the moment and absently listened to the bits of the conversation that drifted his way from across the aisle.

"I know this is an annual trip for you and your brothers, and I don't mean to make a fuss, but …"

"Kass, I'll be back from Saratoga Springs before you know it, and the baby isn't coming for a month," the man replied. "I have a good feeling about this one."

The woman glanced over, "I know, and you always do just fine. But I wish this once you'd delay the trip. Just stay home, at least until the baby."

The man sighed, looking again at the racing forms. This was a good sheet, and he had plans for the money. Then he looked back to his wife's eyes.

He smiled at her and said, "Maybe this once."

"Oh, Art, thank you!" She hugged him, awkwardly given her girth, and the two headed for the door of the station.


	5. Chapter 5

June 16, 1932, Pittsburgh

Jeff continued to lean against Bogg and found his mind drifting back to a memory of his grandfather.

_Pete Jones sat on the sofa in an old-fashioned looking living room, leaning forward while staring at the television. He chewed on a cigar, just as the man across the way had. A game was on, and 4-year-old Jeffrey sat at his grandfather's feet, playing with blocks. _

_Suddenly the man yelled, "Interception! Jeffy, son, they're going to pull it off!"_

_Jeff looked up and smiled. He wasn't really sure what Pete Jones was talking about, but his grandfather was happy and that was enough for the boy._

_It seemed like there were a few more plays on the screen, another cry of triumph from his grandfather and then, the man picked up the small child and began dancing him around the room in a polka._

"_We're from the town with that great football team … we cheer the Pittsburgh Steelers!"(1) he sang._

_Jeff heard his grandmother's voice from the next room. "Pete, I take it the game went well, but please don't break Jeffrey. Bill and Kathy would be very upset," she said, laughing as she finished up the dishes. "And I would definitely make you explain."_

_His grandfather just kept singing, finally concluding "it's been 40 years in coming, just hear that Steeler machinery humming."_

_By this time, Jeff had collapsed into giggles and he clung to his grandfather._

"_Jeffy, you saw some history there! It means a lot to the city, and I'm so happy for the Chief. Watch," he said pointing at the screen._

_Jeff followed his grandfather's hand and watched a white-haired man accept a large gold trophy._

Snapped out of his reverie, Jeff sat bolt upright. "Bogg!" he said, pointing to the couple leaving the station. "That's Art Rooney, and he needs to make that trip to Saratoga Springs."

The "Steelers Polka," Jimmy Psihoulis,1973. The tune is the "Pennsylvania Polka."


	6. Chapter 6

June 16, 1932, Pittsburgh

"What do you mean, kid? That guy is going home," Bogg said. "And that seems like a good decision."

"But he's got to go, Bogg. Art Rooney bought a stake in the NFL with money he won at the racetrack in Saratoga Springs" Jeffrey said. "It's a Pittsburgh legend and was one of my grandfather's favorite stories. Rooney goes on to be one of the city's favorite sons and establishes the Steelers franchise."

"So our mission here is to make sure that an expectant father leaves his wife so that he can go bet the ponies?" Bogg asked incredulously. Since Babe Ruth, he wasn't going to try to argue with Jeff that setting a sports legend back on track wasn't important enough, but this was crazy.

"Well, it sounds bad when you say it that way," Jeff said, a note of impatience in his voice. "But, yeah, that's what is supposed to happen."

"This might be one of the weirdest assignments ever," Bogg sighed. But he trusted Jeff, and he picked up the racing form Rooney had dropped across the way. "Come on, kid."

It was easy to catch up with the couple, as the woman was tottering on the high heels fashionable at the time, pregnant or no. She was putting on her white gloves and looking happily at her husband.

"OK," Bogg thought. "I'm hating this one, but I guess history calls for me to ruin that lady's day."

He put a hand on Jeff's shoulder, and said loudly, "Kid, we are going to be on easy street in no time! This is a sure thing. We just need to get to Saratoga Springs, and your uncle will be a rich man," Bogg said. "Maybe buy me a fancy pocket watch and get rid of this beat up old thing."

Jeff looked up at him with an expression between amusement and a slight glare that said, "Quit trying to make me laugh, Bogg. Red lights are serious."

Art Rooney looked over with interest. Pretending he was trying not to hear the conversation, although he almost certainly was. His wife heard it, too.

Rooney looked at her a bit pleadingly. "You know, Kass …"

"Oh, Art," she said in exasperation. "Just go. You're right; it's a month before the baby."

"Thanks, Kass" the man said, as he turned for the train. "You're the best."

Bogg felt bad and turned to the woman. "Can we get you anything, ma'am, make sure you get home safely?"

"Thanks, but I'm just fine. It's no problem getting a taxi here, and it sounds like you have a train to catch."

"Yes, ma'am," Bogg replied. He could hardly let her know he had no actual intention of traveling to Saratoga Springs. "We should go."

"Good luck," she called, smiling. "But not too much; I don't want to see my husband have to split his winnings."

Bogg waved and walked toward the platforms.

"Jeffrey, I still don't see how …"

"OK, then, what does that beat up old pocket watch say?" Jeff demanded.

Bogg pulled out the omni and looked. "Green light."

Jeffrey smiled.

"OK," Bogg said. "You were right. You ready to go?" and hit the omni after registering Jeff's slight nod.


	7. Chapter 7

Dec. 29, 1753, Ohio Country

Crack!

Phineas Bogg landed hard in the ice-packed snow bank and thought, "I sure hope that wasn't me." It took just a second for him to orient himself, and he was relieved that everything seemed to be working. And then he recalled that initial sound, and he tried to keep from panic, as he realized it might be worse.

"Jeffrey?" He heard no answer. "Kid?"

Bogg scrambled immediately to his feet, trying to keep his footing on the icy bank where he'd landed. He grabbed a branch as he started to slide toward the water below. He'd be of no use to Jeffrey if he injured himself. But where was Jeff?

Bogg looked down to the water only see Jeffrey sliding under the ice that had clearly cracked from the impact of the child's landing. "Stupid omni," he thought. But cursing the omni wasn't going to help Jeff, and Bogg had to stay calm, much calmer than he felt. Bogg let go of the branch and slid toward the water. Caution was not going to get him to Jeff in time. He was ready to dive.

As he hurtled toward the water, Bogg heard another crack and an authoritative, if young, voice: "Gist, get him out of there."

"Major Washington, sir, this could be a trick of the French. I think it best if we …"

"Mr. Gist, I did not ask for your opinion, but never mind. I am perfectly capable," said the tall and imposing 21-year-old. Washington again slammed his oar, breaking the ice. And with his long arms, he grabbed the unconscious Jeffrey Jones from beneath it and pulled the boy onto the small raft, only to slip into the water himself.

Bogg was already at the water's edge, and grabbed the man, pulling them both toward what was obviously a hastily made raft, which was drifting toward the other shore. He hoped it would hold the weight. He hoped they would reach it at all. But he could see Jeff on that raft, and he had to try.


	8. Chapter 8

Dec. 29, 1753, Ohio Country

The child was pale, and his lips were taking on a slight tinge of blue. Bogg picked him up, very gently, and opening his shirt, wrapped the boy's arms around his torso and hugged as much of the child as would fit onto his chest.

Jeffrey was shivering uncontrollably but otherwise wasn't moving. He hadn't opened his eyes. Bogg was glad of the shivering, as the kid's breathing was so shallow it was about the only sign he was alive.

He continued to hold the boy as his thoughts raced through his options. "Gentle warming, no sudden or harsh movements, skin to skin contact," he thought back to the list from his Voyager first aid classes. But the next steps, dry clothing, warm liquids weren't accessible.

Bogg looked around desperately. He had nothing dry, no fire, and he couldn't omni out in direct view of one of the most famous men in American history.

He looked down at Jeff. Or maybe he could and just face the consequences with the Council, because he was sure he couldn't face the consequences here if he didn't raise Jeff's body temperature.

But he looked up to see Washington holding out a dry shirt and a field blanket. "My satchel is tight as a drum, beeswax and mink oil," Washington said. "These Indians are quite ingenious.

"Mr. Gist, I think the boy will need your field blanket, as well. And we should have a fire."

Gist dug a field blanket out of his own satchel and brought it over to Bogg, who was stripping Jeffrey of his wet clothing.

Finally, Bogg settled the kid into the dry shirt, which was so far too large that it covered pretty much his entire body. Washington was a big man, even taller than Phineas, and Jeff looked impossibly small at the moment.

Then Bogg took the blanket, wrapped it around Jeff's head, leaving only the face showing, and swaddled the rest around the boy. With the second blanket, Bogg wrapped him again and held him tightly to his chest.

As bad as the situation was, all of a sudden he could almost hear Jeff saying, "I'm not a baby, Bogg." And he laughed softly, earning a puzzled glance from Washington.

By now, Gist had managed a fire, and the scout walked over with a pewter flask in which he'd melted and heated some of the surrounding snow. He held it out to Bogg: "Have him drink this. I've seen these things before. He doubtless has a great thirst, and it will warm him. Then bring him near the fire."

Bogg nodded. "Thank you."

He held the flask to Jeff's lips and watched the boy swallow and finally open his large brown eyes. They held the look of a frightened animal, and the child tried to flail, but Bogg was holding him too tightly.

"Bogg?" his voice was barely a whisper, but Bogg could hear the panic it contained.

"Shhh. Jeffrey. It's OK. I've got you," Bogg said, lifting the boy gently. "We're just going to go closer to the fire. Stay here with me and get warm, all right?"

"It is pretty cold," Jeff replied. "But not as bad as Siberia, right?"

"No, Jeff, not as bad as Siberia," Bogg said as he leaned back to let Jeffrey settle into his chest, away from the icy ground. But for Bogg, this had seemed like the coldest place he'd ever been just a few minutes ago.

"Don't go right back to sleep on me, OK?" Bogg said. "I need you to drink some more."

Jeffrey nodded, looking more alert. "Is that George Washington?" he whispered. Bogg nodded yes. "You were right, Bogg. He does need a lot of babysitting. What's the omni say?"

"I have no idea," Bogg said, honestly. "I haven't looked at it since we got here."

"Bogg!"

Phineas shifted enough to retrieve the device from his belt. "It's green," wanting to curse the thing for dropping the kid into a freezing river for a green zone. But Jeffrey wasn't aware of exactly what had happened, so he kept the thought to himself.

"Where are we?"

"Dec. 29, 1759, Ohio Country," Bogg replied.

"1759, Ohio Country," Jeff said, looking thoughtful. "Oh, then it is OK. Washington's Crossing."

"I thought we'd been there for that, and he was a good deal older," Bogg looked at the boy in concern.

"Different crossing; that was the Delaware. But during the French and Indian War, George Washington nearly died crossing the Allegheny River while on a diplomatic mission. He fell off the raft when his oar hit a piece of ice. But he's supposed to be on this island.

"Tomorrow morning, the ice will be thick enough he and his guide, Christopher Gist, can walk across. And the city of Pittsburgh will eventually build a bridge on just about this spot. Washington's Crossing."

"Good. Green light, then," Bogg said. "And when they walk across, we can get out of here. Maybe find you a doctor."

"Bogg, I'm fine. I'm not a baby, you know," Jeff said in irritation.

"Yeah, kid, I know."


	9. Chapter 9

Dec. 30, 1759, Ohio Country

Phineas Bogg was as stiff, sore, tired and cold as he'd been in a long time, but that couldn't dampen his mood. As he had through the night, Bogg shifted and checked on the tightly wrapped Jeffrey, who still lay on his mentor's chest.

The boy had color back in his face, and his breathing seemed even. Bogg couldn't really check to see whether Jeff was warm in the blankets without putting his own freezing hands on the boy, so he contented himself with brushing back a curl that had escaped.

"Bogg, I'm really thirsty," the boy muttered.

"OK. I'll get you something."

Bogg lifted the boy in his arm and gathered snow into the flask he still held in his other hand. Carefully balancing Jeff, still unwilling to risk putting him against the cold ground, Bogg moved toward the fire where it could melt and warm.

Major Washington intervened. "Let me, sir. You seem to have your hands full. How is the boy?"

"He seems better. Thank you, for everything."

"I am glad to have been able to be of assistance," the tall, red-haired young man said. "This boy reminds me somehow of one I met in my own youth. He dissuaded me from service in the Royal Navy, and, as we can see from the events of last evening, sailing certainly would not have been my best occupation.

"It is fortuitous that we landed on this island," Washington said. "But with the water now fully frozen, it is time for Mr. Gist and myself to take our leave. Governor Dinwiddie is awaiting my report on the events at Fort Le Boeuf."

Bogg helped Jeffrey to drink a bit more of the melted snow while Washington and Gist packed their gear. Bogg handed back the flask.

"Are you sure you won't be needing it?" Gist asked.

"No, our camp isn't far. The kid had just wandered off," Bogg replied.

As Washington and Gist set off, Bogg looked at the omni. "Still green, thank goodness."

"I didn't wander off! You made me look stupid," Jeff griped. "In front of George Washington!"

"OK, kid, next time I'll tell them you're a time traveler who fell from the sky, because that'll help history along," Bogg replied. "Jeff, the job isn't just about making yourself look smart, and we needed a convincing story. That was convincing. You know, 12-year-old kids wander off. I've seen it a few times."

"Yeah, I guess," Jeff said.

"And, by the way, I wasn't kidding about the doctor."

Bogg clicked the omni.


	10. Chapter 10

Voyagers Headquarters, Omnitron Control

Daniel Lang noticed the glitch in the data and watched carefully. It seemed to be resolving on its own, and he was relieved. He'd never actually met Jeffrey Jones, but given he'd had a role in getting this youngest-ever Voyager into the field, Dan did feel protective. Especially having spent far too many days reviewing how the child might have died before putting the boy's history back on track.

It was the next morning that Lang came back to a voluntary recall request. He checked the data again. The Voyagers seemed OK, but there had been that spike, so Dan authorized the recall. He trusted Bogg to know what he was doing.

Dan turned to see Phineas Bogg appear, looking the worse for wear, his hair filled with icicles and his hands and face red from cold. He was holding what initially appeared to be a pile of blankets until it uttered a muffled, "Bogg, can you please put me down already?"

Dan almost laughed as Bogg set down a very indignant-looking boy of about 12 with dark, curly hair. As the blankets fell from his small frame, he was revealed to be wearing a white ruffled shirt that reached well below his knees.

Jeff looked up at his partner, "Bogg, where are we?"

"Voyagers Headquarters. Somewhere safe, somewhere where I can make sure you're OK."

"Bogg, I already told you I'm fine."

"You did," Bogg nodded. "But you didn't see you back there in 1759. I want a second opinion.

"Besides," he said with a glare at Daniel, "I think I need a word with the support team once we get you settled in."

Dan nodded.

"Well, Voyager Jones, it is nice to meet you. I'm Dan Lang," Dan said, crouching enough to make eye contact with the boy and reaching out his hand. "Let's get you to medical, OK?"

After the handshake, he reached out to help the boy, who looked at him darkly but with determination: "I can walk."

"I'm sure you can," Dan replied, thinking he completely understood why despite Bogg's initial objections to the idea of any partner, this boy hadn't been dropped off at Voyager headquarters in the past six months. "But it does seem like a good idea for you to be checked out. Both of you," Dan replied. He looked at Bogg. "And Voyager Bogg, I do have the authority to make sure that happens."

"Right," Bogg said. "Just so long as we make sure about Jeff."


	11. Chapter 11

Voyager Headquarters, Medical

Dr. Lawrence Abercrombie smiled at Jeffrey, now cleaned up and in a neatly made bed of white, crisp sheets.

"You seem just fine, young man. A bit worse for wear, I suppose. You're going to have quite a bruise where you hit that ice, and your blood pressure is a bit elevated," the doctor said. "We'll keep you here for observation on that, and you have an IV of warm fluids to keep that body temperature up and help with the dehydration. But I expect you'll be perfectly healthy in no time."

To Bogg, Jeff still looked impossibly pale, even against the white of the sheets, and he looked at the doctor, as if not quite believing him.

"Now, I should check out your friend here," Dr. Abercrombie said and, with a conspiratorial wink to Jeff, added, "I fear he won't be nearly the good patient you have been."

Jeff giggled.

"I'd like to stay, at least until he's asleep," Bogg said.

"Bogg, just go. You look terrible," Jeffrey said. And stretching back into the pillow, he didn't look as if he'd be awake long.

"Thanks, kid; you, too." Bogg laughed, touched the dark hair and said, "OK. I'll go, but I'll be back before you wake up."

" 's good, Bogg," the child mumbled, clearly half asleep already.

Bogg left the room, accompanied by the doctor. "Is he really OK?"

"Voyager Bogg, yes, he is. Do you think I'd lie to him? So, while he rests, let's make sure that frostbite on your fingers isn't worse than it looks," Abercrombie said. "Or did you think I hadn't noticed?"

Bogg gave him a sideward glance. "Do I have a choice?'

"No," Abercrombie said, "But it's nice to create that illusion, and I can't imagine you aren't in pain as those thaw."

An hour later, Bogg peeked into Jeff's room. The boy was sleeping soundly. Bogg smiled to see that Jeffrey was less pale and that no nightmares were disturbing his sleep. Bogg still wanted to talk with Lang, but he decided that could wait until morning. The doctor had made it clear Phineas wasn't leaving headquarters for at least another day, and he felt the exhaustion hit him hard as the painkillers kicked in. He grabbed a chair, stretched out his long legs and put a lightly bandaged hand onto Jeff's arm. And he fell asleep to the soothing sound of the boy's deep, even breaths.


	12. Chapter 12

Voyager Headquarters, Medical

Jeffrey had the dream again, only this time, as the pirate cut the rope and Jeff failed to save his parents, he fell into a cold, dark place that robbed him of breath.

He woke up with a start, but only a slight one. He'd gotten used to this sort of awakening in the past year. Once the shock was gone, he could smile as he found himself in a warm, soft bed with Bogg touching his arm. He hoped he hadn't woken the man, because Bogg really did look terrible; even in sleep his eyes were shadowed. Jeff noticed the hand leaning heavily on his arm was bandaged and realized that the doctor had probably treated Bogg for frostbite. The man still slept soundly.

Jeff almost wished someone had made his mentor go to a real bed, but he was too glad to see him to really mean it. He rolled over slightly, suddenly realizing he had to be careful of the IV, but he could roll far enough to put his opposite hand on Bogg's arm. And he fell back to sleep.

Bogg straightened the next morning, pushing off the blanket that a nurse must have placed over him in the night and grinning as he saw Jeff had curled as close to him as possible. He stretched, feeling better.

Jeff opened his eyes. "Hey, Bogg."

"Hey, kid, how are you feeling?"

"Hungry. And I want this thing out of my arm, feels weird."

"I'm sure it's almost time for breakfast," Bogg said, and sure enough he saw an orderly coming down the hall. "And when the doctor says so. You be OK here for a while? I'll get you a book before I go."

"Sure. Thanks, Bogg."

With Jeffrey settled into bed with a book and a breakfast tray, Bogg left the room and strode toward Omnitron Control and Daniel Lang's office.


	13. Chapter 13

Voyager Headquarters, Daniel Lang's office

Dan looked up to see the tall man standing in the doorway, and rose to his own full height to greet him.

"Good morning, Voyager Bogg," he said. "You're looking better." He started to reach out his hand, noted Bogg's bandaged ones and dropped it almost imperceptibly.

"So is Jeffrey. No thanks to you," Bogg almost snarled. "Lang you're his monitor; did you not notice he was dying out there?"

"Voyager Bogg, I was monitoring, and I did see his vital signs," Lang replied very calmly. "If had come to it, I would have pulled him. I didn't, and you know the reason. It's the same as yours for not omniing directly out of there."

"I almost did," Bogg said quietly.

"But you didn't, because you know the code," Lang said. "Imminent death, Voyager Bogg, that's the only reason we'll pull someone. You know that, and Jeffrey is very much alive. You did a great job taking care of him."

"Dan, he almost died. It seems like I could do better than that," Bogg said. "We both know you can't pull everyone in time."

Dan just nodded. It was a sad fact of life here at Voyager Headquarters. While they monitored for vital signs, they couldn't monitor for every dangerous situation or no Voyager would be able to complete a mission. And Dan recalled each time he'd only been able to pull back an omni.

Bogg continued, "Maybe I should leave him here where it's safe. He could start Voyager school …"

Dan sighed. "Phin, I haven't gotten a chance to know Jeffrey Jones, but I have spent some time with you, and I've read the records. Jeff has had a lot of tragedy in his life, but he's supposed to be doing this. What's more is right now you're about his only emotional anchor."

"Some anchor, dragging him around the time stream, putting him in danger all the time," Bogg said.

"And pulling him out," Dan replied. "You know the real question, Phin: Are you so afraid that Jeff might die you're ready to kill him, and yourself, inside?"

Bogg put his head in his hands, "Dan, I don't know." And then, standing, "I should go check on Jeff."

"Yeah, I know he'd like to see you," Dan said, sighing as Bogg left the office.


	14. Chapter 14

Voyager Headquarters, Medical

Jeff still felt sort of groggy and was half-heartedly paging through the book Bogg had left, but when his partner entered the room his eyes lit up.

"Hey, Bogg. The doctor let them take that stupid thing out of my arm. He said maybe tomorrow I can walk around and get to see more of headquarters," Jeffrey said happily and continued to talk a mile a minute. "How are your hands? I noticed the bandages last night, but you left pretty quickly this morning. So can we walk around tomorrow? I've never been here, and it looks really great, and I'd like to learn more about the omnis and how they work and …"

Bogg laughed. "Kid, slow down."

"Sorry, I'm just a little excited, I guess."

"Maybe a little," Bogg chuckled as he settled into the chair next to the bed. He reached out and tousled Jeff's dark curls. "My hands feel a lot better, but the doc is not going to clear me for field work until at least day after tomorrow. And I don't think there is any problem with us taking advantage of that time for a tour. In fact, I know there are some people around who would like to meet you."

"Oh, why's that?"

Jeffrey had no idea that a team here at Voyager Headquarters had spent a week making sure Drake didn't kill the boy before Bogg ever got to his window ledge in Manhattan, and Bogg wasn't about to tell him.

"They've just heard a lot about you," he replied with a wink. "You know, you're kind of famous being the youngest Voyager in the field."

"Yeah, right," Jeff said. "Either way, it sounds really cool. Thanks."


	15. Chapter 15

Voyager Headquarters, Omnitron Control

Bogg and Jeffrey spent the next day touring headquarters.

Jeff was an eager student, and Trixie Mahoney had enjoyed watching his eyes widen at the vast Voyager archive, filled with books and computers and a few types of readers Jeff didn't recognize at all. They spent quite a while, as she explained these went back through all of recorded history. Voyagers were generally assigned a specific, if wide, period in which they were authorized to take on missions.

"Right, that's why Bogg wasn't able to get me back to 1982," the boy said. "I guess the guidebook is plenty thick without covering everything."

"It is," Trixie said. "So back here, we have everything recorded, but out there it's a little more limited. Although I hear you've been doing fine without one."

"Yeah, most of the time," Jeff replied. "My father was a history professor."

"I've heard. You clearly paid a lot of attention," she said, smiling.

"Now, Voyager Lang has asked me to retrieve some records here. Want to help?"

Jeff nodded and spent several hours rummaging through dusty tomes and watching Trixie type a compilation of the information.

"That should do it," Trixie said. "How about some lunch? I'll get these to Dan, and maybe you can spend some time with Wendy. I saw you eying that Omnitron."

They caught up with Bogg and Jeptha for a quick meal, and then Jeff ran off to meet with Wendy Freud, the coder who had promised to explain more about the Omnitron.

Phineas looked after the boy and smiled. "He looks happy, doesn't he Jeptha?"

"That he does," Jeptha Smithyman said. He'd served as Bogg's tracker and had pulled him out of the fire, quite literally, when Phineas found himself in the center of the Salem Witch Trials. "You do, too, by the way. We all need a break from that crazy field now and then."

"Yeah, but I was thinking maybe Jeff's should be a bit longer than mine," Bogg said.

"I heard something along those lines," Jeptha said. "Have you talked to him about it?"

"Haven't made a decision yet," Bogg replied.

"Phin, don't you think maybe Jeff should be involved in that?" Jeptha said. "You're talking about uprooting the entire life he's come to know."

"Well, it's pretty uprooted anyway, wouldn't you say?" Bogg asked. "You were in the field for years. Do you think it's a life for a kid?"

"Not just any kid, no," Jeptha said. "But is Jeffrey just any kid?"

Bogg nodded his head no as they re-entered the Control Room. Jeff was already bombarding Wendy with questions.

"So, the Omnitron can track every Voyager traveling within the span of recorded history," Wendy explained, pointing at the charts of several Voyagers on assignment. "See, here is Olivia Dunne. You met her right? She's currently in California, 1848. It seems Mr. Sutter isn't planning to hire James Marshall …"

"Who discovered the gold," Jeff said. "Right."

"Folks like Dan and Jeptha keep an eye out," she said. "And we try to pull Voyagers if anything goes wrong."

"Try?" Jeff asked. "But you can't always tell. Like if Bogg and Olivia had still been on the Titanic when it sank …"

"Jeff, we wouldn't have known that until after," Wendy said honestly. She'd half wanted to lie, but the boy's brown eyes reflected he already had worked out the reality of the situation.

Jeff nodded. "Can you tell me about this part?"

Wendy smiled, "Sure, Jeff."

Bogg took advantage of the time and got some much-needed rest. He came back to find Jeff still talking to Wendy and asking a thousand questions. But as Phineas came in the boy ran over and threw himself into Bogg's arms.

"Hey, Bogg, are you feeling better?

"Yeah, kid. I am," Bogg hugged the child tightly.

"This was a great day, Bogg. I think it will really help when we're on a mission."

"Yeah, Jeff, about that, I was thinking …" Bogg began and then hesitated. Jeff looked up expectantly, and Bogg looked into those eager brown eyes. He continued, "You should get some sleep if we're going back to work tomorrow."


	16. Chapter 16

Oct. 15, 1969, Pittsburgh's North Side

Despite his advice to Jeffrey, Bogg hadn't slept much at all the night before going back into the field; when he did, he dreamt of Jeff looking pale and still.

Phineas looked over at Jeff, unsure of this decision. He should have taken the kid back to headquarters immediately, when it would have been easier. He wasn't convinced of what he should do now. Traveling without Jeff would be lonely, and he knew it was true Jeff would miss him, too. Dan and Jeptha had been supportive and quite likely right, but he felt a gnaw of fear every time he thought about the many things that could go wrong on a mission.

He had a headache and just hoped this would be an easy one. Maybe he should have taken one more day at headquarters.

"Where are we, Bogg?"

Bogg pulled out the omni, "Pittsburgh, Oct. 15, 1969."

"Well, I'm going to be born next year, so even you couldn't think leaving me here was good for the time stream," Jeffrey said. "Someone would notice me and my clone."

"Right. Thanks for the vote of confidence," Bogg replied, but his tone was different from what Jeffrey expected. It held a sense of hurt, even insult. Bogg started walking more quickly. Phineas' head hurt more than ever, and he just needed to think for a minute. He was scared, confused and angry, and while he didn't want to take it out on the kid, everything just seemed like too much at the moment. He definitely should have taken at least an extra day to consider this.

"Bogg?" the boy said, nearly running to keep up with what he suddenly realized must be the usual stride of his tall partner. "Bogg, please stop, or at least slow down."

Bogg slowed, but he didn't stop, although he didn't really know where he was going. He glanced again at the omni. "Red light. I'm sure there's something I'm supposed to be doing," he said, glancing back at Jeffrey. "You know, I might even figure out what that is."

"Fix the red light; take care of a smart-mouthed kid?" Jeff ventured, knowing that this time his teasing had crossed a line. "Bogg, I know you're plenty able to do this whole job on your own. I just … I just don't say that enough. And I figure you'll leave me if I remind you too much. You won't need me." The boy continued to jog after Bogg.

Bogg finally paused in his stride, and he knelt to Jeffrey's level. The kid was only 12, and he'd been through a lot just in the past few days. Bogg wanted to be the grown-up and knew Jeff didn't understand why his taunt was so hurtful. Still, Bogg didn't lean toward the child or reach out that comforting hand Jeff was used to on his shoulder.

"I've told you, kid; I'm not going anywhere, at least not without you." Phineas gestured as if to show how far he'd gotten. "But I'm nearing the end of my rope trying to make you believe that. It's long past you being smarter than my guidebook, although I think you are. I know, Jeff, that you're a smart kid, a special kid. I thought by now you'd know that, too, but I don't know …"

"Know what, Bogg?"

"That you trust me even half as much as I love you. I know you miss your parents and find it hard to trust anyone after all you've seen. I can't promise I won't die, Jeff, because we all will, Voyagers included. But I can promise that short of that, I'll only leave you behind if you ask," he breathed deeply and exhaled. "Maybe not even then. I can't do better than that, and it just doesn't seem to be enough."

For once, Jeffrey Jones had absolutely no reply and just stared mutely into his partner's icy blue eyes.

And then, the boy suddenly disappeared.


	17. Chapter 17

London, 1889

Drake looked at his handiwork. The device was primitive, given the Victorian tools with which he had to work. These were brass workings, glass flasks and copper coils of inferior quality to anything in Voyager Headquarters, but Drake was nearly sure it would serve for the purpose at hand. It should track and transport a Voyager, and he had one in mind.

Voyager Headquarters might have saved that boy Jeffrey Jones from falling through a window, but to do that it had to find him. With this prototype, Drake could prevent that. And there would be no need to get blood on his hands or shirt. The device wasn't much, but it would serve.

Drake looked at the readings. The boy was easy to locate.

Drake considered. He could just pull Jones out of the time and place he found him now. At worst, Drake's device wouldn't work and the boy would remain where he was until Drake perfected it; the child might not survive the time shift instituted by this untested machinery; or he might end up, well, somewhere, who cared? So, Drake really had nothing to lose. He hit the button with a smile.

A few minutes later, according to Drake's readings, Jeffrey Jones was somewhere off the grid an Omnitron could read. Good enough. An untraceable Voyager without an omni was about the same as dead anyway. It just took time, after all. And Drake believed he had that on his side. He was a Voyager, after all.


	18. Chapter 18

Voyagers Headquarters, Omnitron Control

"What the …" Daniel Lang shouted. "Wendy, get over here! What is going on? They only left five minutes ago."

Wendy ran to the Omnitron, looking at the readings and quickly saw the problem. She started tapping buttons on the keyboard trying to make sense of this.

"Doc, he's gone from the grid. I don't know," she was trying to stay calm, recalling the fun she'd had with Jeffrey Jones the day before. He wanted to know everything about everything . He'd been a joy. She saw his deep brown eyes as he watched her work and tried to figure it all out in a day. "I'm working on it."

"Work faster," Dan said. "And Jep, recall Bogg. He seems to still be around. It's something. Maybe he can explain it. Maybe Jeff is still with him and this is just a misreading."

Phineas Bogg appeared in the room a few seconds later. He clearly had been checking to be sure he still had the omni, almost hoping that Jeffrey had somehow grabbed it without him noticing.

"A recall? We only got there, and why did Jeff go before I did? You scared me to death," Bogg said, as he looked around the room. "And where is he?"

Jeptha stepped forward. "Phin, please try to calm down."

"My kid disappeared in front of me with no explanation, and I don't see why you'd handle a recall that way. Why should I be calm? Was he sick? Did I miss that? We weren't having the best moment, but he seemed fine."

Jeptha took Bogg by the arms and forcefully set him in a chair and then kneeled to look him in the eyes, still gripping his shoulders. "Phineas, that's just it. We didn't recall him."

"Then what happened?" Bogg yelled. "Where is Jeffrey?"

Dan stepped forward. "Phin, we don't know. He's not on the grid. We hoped …"

"… that I might," Bogg said, his voice suddenly quiet. "But he was just gone. Jeff is just gone."

Wendy's frantic tapping was suddenly the only sound in the room.


	19. Chapter 19

Date unknown, 1000 A.D., along the Allegheny

Jeff fell hard and felt disoriented. It didn't feel like previous passages through the omni, except maybe for the landing.

"Bogg," he said, sitting up and rubbing the still sore spot on his back where he'd hit the ice days before. "You could have at least warned me. I know you were mad; you had every right, but … Bogg?"

By now, angry or not, an uninjured Bogg would have checked on how Jeff was doing, and Jeff knew it. He suddenly regretted complaining about the usual concern as he sat up and looked around for his partner. Jeff felt slightly sick. There was no sign of Bogg, no sign of the omni.

Jeff again thought back to that last conversation. "Short of that …" Jeff stopped himself. It wasn't going to help to follow through on that thought. Bogg couldn't be dead; he just couldn't. And no matter how angry, he hadn't left Jeff here alone. "Wherever you are, Jeff, I'll find you," echoed in Jeff's head, recalling Bogg's words when the Karakas were going to sell Jeff into slavery.

It was entirely still in the clearing of the wooded area where he'd landed, and Jeff hadn't a clue as to where he might be. The leaves covering the ground and the colors of the trees indicated autumn. It was warm, but that could change quickly.

"Keep it together, Jones," he thought. "No omni, no clue, not even a date beyond 'probably fall.' What would Bogg do?"

Bogg certainly wouldn't collapse into a crying, heaving mess, which was what Jeff really wanted to do. It suddenly occurred to Jeffrey that Bogg might want to do that himself sometimes. Jeff had never thought of it before.

"But he wouldn't," Jeff confirmed to himself. "So, no omni, just a bunch of trees and a pocketknife. I'll have to do what I can and figure out where I am. I can work something out from there.

"And first thing to do, alone in a wilderness, is make a shelter. Mom taught me that," he thought with determination. And he began to look around.


	20. Chapter 20

Voyagers Headquarters, Omnitron Control

For two days, Phineas Bogg had been like a ghost in the room. His blue eyes just stared as he went from station to station desperately seeking an answer. The room was filled with people. It seemed to Bogg every support person in headquarters was there.

Jeptha approached, not for the first time. "Phin, I really think …"

"Yeah, that I should rest. I'm open to suggestions on how that might work. Don't think there are enough drugs in medical," Bogg replied coldly. "You know, Jep, the last thing I spoke to him was in anger. I didn't even touch him, if I'd touched him …"

"We'd be looking for two Voyagers instead of one," Jeptha said.

"He wouldn't be alone," Bogg looked up, his eyes wide with horror. "You know, that's why I was mad at him, because he's so scared to be alone. How ridiculous is it that I was angry at a 12-year-old for being scared? I was scared myself.

"He's so scared to be alone that he didn't believe I wouldn't just leave him somewhere. I was angry that he wouldn't trust me to be better than that. But, truth is, I thought about it. You know I did. "

"And in the time I've know you, I've thought about strangling you for your sheer stubbornness," Jeptha answered. "Didn't do it any more than you left Jeff, and not one of us who've met you, and that includes Jeff, thought you could. Phin, I don't know where he is. I wish I did, but I know wherever it is, he knows quite right that you love him.

"And one other thing I know is this: If you don't at least lie back, you'll fall down. You don't want that to be when we find Jeff. There's a cot in Dan's office. It's not like we'd forget to wake you, and even if we did, your boy would insist."

"But what if …" Bogg couldn't finish.

"Phineas Bogg, just try to get a bit of rest," Jeptha said. "If you're asleep when we find him, it'll be the whoops of joy that wake you."

Jeptha took Bogg's arm, walked him into Dan's office and pointed. Bogg nodded, as much in defeat as in gratitude.

"Whoops of joy," Phineas thought as collapsed onto the cot. "I'd prefer a single 'Hey, Bogg.' "

After three days and nights with just about no sleep at all, Bogg finally closed his eyes, but he couldn't find any rest.


	21. Chapter 21

Date unknown, 1000 A.D., along the Allegheny

The spot would do for a shelter, and the tree had a decent fork in its branches to support a beam.

"Step one," Jeff thought. And he went off to find a suitable branch to act as a pole.

He kept going, finding branches and evergreen boughs as he assembled a crude hut. When he was done, he had no idea how long it had taken, three hours, four? But Jeff looked at the hut with some level of satisfaction. His knuckles were bleeding: he was pretty sure he'd cut a gash into his cheek at some point; and his whole body was sore, especially the ankle on which he'd dropped that initial pole while getting it into place. He knew that was swollen, but at least the tiny hut looked like it would stay standing.

"Even if I can't," he thought.

He noticed that while he'd been sweating from the work, the wind had shifted, and he saw dark clouds fill the sky. He limped around to get some leaves and moss to cover the ground inside the shelter. "I guess I get my final exam on this thing right away. You'd think I'd get a practice round."

But he smiled as he saw a small clay pot in the moss. It had a deep chip on one side but was otherwise undamaged. "Well, someone's been here," he thought.

He grabbed the pot, some more moss and ran, or made his best approximation on his sore ankle, back to the shelter. He crawled in not long before the rain started. It wasn't a storm, just a nurturing rain that he would have enjoyed listening to back on the rooftop in New York. And he was grateful, because he could fill the damaged pot. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was, and he hadn't had time to seek out fresh water even if he had. He drank every last drop and put the pot back outside the opening of the shelter.

And then Jeffrey had nothing left to do except sit in the shelter and listen to the rain. That was OK for a few minutes, as he congratulated himself that it was pretty dry. But before long, he curled into as small a space as possible, hugged his knees to his chest and just wished Bogg would find him already. He hurt all over; he was getting cold; and there was no one to encourage him to keep going. He didn't have energy to cry, so he rolled to his side and fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

Date unknown, 1000 A.D., along the Allegheny

Jeffrey awoke to the sound of voices and felt something hit him in the ribs. It wasn't bone-crunchingly hard but was enough to knock the wind out of him. A pair of arms pulled him from the small shelter, and the voices became more excited.

He couldn't understand what the five men around him were saying. After a year of traveling with the omni, he'd almost forgotten that it had served as translator in those cultures where he didn't speak the language. However he'd gotten here, that feature was clearly not in effect.

Jeff lay there, trying to get his breath back, as the men pointed at him. They were fairly tall and wore aprons of some sort of leather. Buckskin, Jeff supposed. Their heads were bald except for a central patch where the remaining hair of some was worked with beads and feathers. On their backs they carried bows, and several had packs of arrows at the waist. Jeff knew they must be Native Americans, so he was somewhere what would be the United States. But when?

The group stood over Jeff, clearly discussing the situation, and then one of the men pulled the boy to his feet. He stepped in front of the child, said something. He looked as if he expected an answer. Having none to give, Jeff put out his hands in what he hoped was a universal non-threatening gesture of supplication. He didn't feel like he was in immediate danger. If these men had wanted to kill him, he'd be dead already.

The man's apron was intricately worked with beads in a colorful floral pattern, and his face had stripes of red paint on the cheeks. He spoke with what sounded like authority, and Jeff assumed he was in charge. Eyeing Jeff warily, he walked around the boy, casting an assessing eye.

Finally, he turned to the others, said something. Then he nodded to Jeff, giving a word that sounded like an order, and gestured with his arm, seemingly indicating that Jeff was to come with the group. "That's good, I guess," Jeff thought. "Or at least not as bad as it could be."

So he followed the group as they began a hike that seemed to go on forever, especially as Jeff limped along on his still swollen ankle. At one point, a man – a boy really, Jeff estimated he wasn't much older if any than he was – offered him a leather bag, motioning for him to drink from it. Tasting the water, Jeff smiled in gratitude. The boy looked at him and nodded, but he didn't return the smile.

The group continued, when suddenly the leader stopped. The group went still. "Why?" Jeff began and was silenced by the upheld hand of the man, who gave him a dark look tempered with surprise. Jeff considered. It was a look that said, "How could you not know that?" Jeff had given enough of those to recognize the sentiment. He felt stupid and out of place and stood stock still, following the lead of the group around him.

The group leader nodded almost imperceptibly, using his eyes to gesture. He moved to one side, mirrored by one of the men and the native boy on the other. They were absolutely silent in the still wood.

When Jeff saw the deer step into view, he realized why he'd gotten that look. He'd nearly cost the group dinner and, more importantly, supplies for the coming winter. Of course, a 12-year-old in a hunting society would have known that and been quiet.

Another silent gesture from the leader, and Jeff saw the boy quietly raise his bow, place an arrow and release. The shot was true, and the boy let out a loud "whoop" and ran over to the wounded animal. The leader approached, handed the boy a flint knife and smiled as the boy cut the animal's throat, putting it out of its misery.

The man pointed at the boy and made a short speech. The boy looked overjoyed; his smile was beaming. "First kill, I guess," Jeff thought. He looked on and felt a sharp pang of jealousy, not for the kill, but for the fierce look of pride in the face of the man who looked down at the boy and put a hand on his shoulder.


	23. Chapter 23

Date unknown, 1000 A.D., along the Allegheny

Jeff watched in fascination at the quick work of the men stripping the deer, opening its abdomen, removing much of its fur and building a travois. He stepped forward as one of the men motioned, gesturing that he should hold in place the leather band he was using to fashion the device. Jeff got a nod, so he could only assume he'd done it correctly.

He was assigned a few more small tasks as the party finished its work.

After no more than an hour, they were off again, the men taking turns pulling the travois with the deer. They included Jeffrey in the rotation. He supposed that was a good sign. And the native boy had given him a smile as he again offered him water. The new hunter was clearly in a good mood.

Jeff's ankle was throbbing painfully. He tried his best to ignore it. These men had certainly not been hostile, but he very much doubted they'd be willing to carry him. He was still frightened about how this would play out, but he didn't want to be left behind.

Finally they reached a small settlement surrounded by wooden posts. It was just three wigwams and a single rectangular building. Jeff almost laughed as he thought, "but for them it's home." He was exhausted; his ankle hurt brutally; his knuckles were cracking and oozing where he'd scraped them the previous day; and he was definitely getting punchy.

As they walked into the settlement, Jeff noted smaller children tossing stones, clearly playing a game. It seemed to have some sort of target, so perhaps something along the lines of horseshoes.

A woman came running out of the rectangular building, ready in greeting for the party. She ran to the leader, took him in a brief embrace and then started talking. He smiled at her, indicated the boy standing next to him. She looked at the deer and the boy and nodded happily, turning toward the boy with a rush of words and then reaching out and to stroke the boy's head. He looked embarrassed.

She laughed a throaty, deep laugh and spoke to the boy again. He laughed back and went to join the men at the campfire, where they clearly were celebrating their successful hunt.

The woman then turned to look at Jeffrey. Then she looked back at the man Jeff still assumed was the leader and started talking again. After a few minutes, she nodded, took Jeff's arm and led him into the building she'd left. The man followed her.

As the woman guided him to a spot next to the fire, Jeff noticed her eyes. They were kind, a dark brown flecked with greens that seemed to mirror those of the forest around them. She motioned to Jeff to sit, spoke a soft word and began to remove his shoe. She looked at the sneaker with interest, set it aside and touched his swollen ankle.

Jeff winced, and the woman turned to look at the man still standing above. She said something in what sounded like a disapproving tone. The man shrugged and responded. She shook her head at him but then laughed her warm laugh, rushing into relaxed speech unrecognizable to Jeff. The man spoke back to her, brushed her cheek and gestured outside. She nodded, and he left.

The woman turned back to Jeff. She got up and returned with a pitcher of warm water in which she had placed a woven cloth. She said something to Jeffrey, reached out with the cloth and began to clean the wound on his face. He pulled back slightly, but she spoke again in a tone that was soothing, and Jeff let her continue. She then removed the worst of the dirt and pus from his broken knuckles.

A girl, maybe 6 or 7, one of those Jeffrey had noticed tossing stones, came running in and pulled on the woman's skirt, looking curiously at Jeffrey. She spoke excitedly, and the woman smiled at her and responded. A few minutes later, the girl returned with a woven basket filled with materials. The woman spoke to the girl again, and she ran off.

The woman looked again at Jeffrey, pointed to herself and said "Abeytu." She pointed at Jeff, who was momentarily confused until he realized she was asking his name. "Jeffrey."

"Jeffrey," she repeated, as she reached into the basket and apparently found what she was looking for. The little girl had returned with a mug of hot water, and Abeytu dropped the mixture she'd retrieved into it.

A few minutes later, she handed it to Jeff, pantomiming that he should drink. The liquid tasted of chamomile, licorice and flavors Jeff didn't recognize. It made him feel warm and relaxed.

The woman nodded, spoke again in a soothing tone, and touched his ankle. It still hurt but not as bad. She reached again into the basket, rubbed some sort of oil onto her hands and rubbed it into the ankle. She turned to the little girl, speaking some sort of order. A few minutes later the girl returned with leaves that looked something like cabbage. Abeytu wrapped those around the newly treated ankle and smiled at Jeffrey, as she raised his foot onto a folded blanket. She said something, and while Jeff didn't know the specifics, he felt much better.

Abeytu pointed to the little girl, "Maralah."

Jeff smiled, "Hi, Maralah. I'm Jeffrey."

He saw the echo of Abeytu's eyes in the girl's and realized this must be her daughter.

"Jeffrey," the little girl said, and smiled, revealing her missing front teeth.

Abeytu said more to the girl and turned to Jeffrey, almost as if in apology. She pointed outside and left the building holding the little girl by the hand to lead her out to the fire, from where Jeff could hear the sounds of celebration.


	24. Chapter 24

Voyager Headquarters

Wendy stared at the data she'd been looking at for three days. It seemed like a month. Still, there had to something. And she suddenly noticed it.

"Doc, come look!" and as Daniel Lang approached she pointed to the small, almost undetectable, shift in the time stream. "It's not the level of an omni, but there's something there."

Dan stared; it was definitely something, but what? And how could it have escaped the notice of the Omnitron for days?

"Thoughts, Wendy?"

"Well, it looks as if Jeff, er, Voyager Jones," fairly new at the job, she tried to maintain professionalism.

"Oh, for God's sake, Wendy, where is he?" Dan said. "It's not as if I'm going to dock your nonexistent pay for not using his title."

"I don't know where he is, Doc," Wendy replied. "But this looks like a pretty primitive device used to transport him, so … I guess there's good news."

Phineas Bogg, who had jumped at the first "come look," stepped forward, startling both of the support crew. "You don't know where he is and that's good news?" he glowered staring at Wendy.

Wendy stood up and looked Bogg in the eye. And with a bit of defiance she said, "Yes, when you consider everything I'm reading seems to indicate he's still alive, somewhere, it is good news. Whatever this thing is, it seems a miracle we have that much, because it doesn't seem calibrated to guarantee that. Whoever did this took a risk."

Phineas went pale, but responded "So, does it give us a clue as to finding him?"

"A clue, sure," Wendy said. "But not an answer."

Bogg grunted, and Wendy looked up sympathetically. "We'll find one, though. You know, Bogg, we are on the same team here."

"Yeah, I know," Bogg said, falling into a chair and looking defeated. "But I just want my kid back."


	25. Chapter 25

Date unknown, 1000 A.D., along the Allegheny

During the three days Jeffrey had spent in this Indian settlement, he'd hardly had time to think about what he should do to find his way out.

A community of about 20 people, the village was constantly busy as the residents clearly prepared for winter. Abeytu and her mother, Halona, and the other women and girls of the village were collecting the crops of corn, beans, pumpkins and sunflowers from the nearby small fields. In the evenings, they would work furs into robes that Jeff assumed the group would wear when the temperatures dropped.

The men helped with some of the heaviest work of the crops and went hunting each day, bringing back more meat and furs.

Even Jeff's first day in the village, when Abeytu made it clear he was not to walk on his ankle, she had given him leather to cut and work thin for use in the robes and moccasins the women were fashioning. And he was given flint to chip into arrowheads, a long, slow process. His already sore hands were bleeding again by the end of the day, and Abeytu rubbed them with a salve.

The second day, Payat – Jeffrey learned that was the name of the leader of the group that had found him and brought him here – took Jeffrey out gave him a bow and indicated he should shoot. Jeffrey's 20th Century archery class at the Y did not measure up, and Payat shook his head, looking at the boy in puzzlement. Jeff realized he wasn't going on the hunting expeditions.

The native boy Jeff had met on that first hike, Hinto, laughed as he looked on, preparing his own bow and arrows for the day's activity. He gathered with the men of the settlement.

Before joining the hunting party, Payat took a few minutes to show Jeff again how to maneuver the bow and indicated the child should continue to practice. The attention made him realize again how much he missed Bogg.

After some time spent learning the bow, Jeffrey was set to work slicing long strips of venison and hanging them in the trees to dry and then helped in the fields. He found he had a small fan in Maralah, who followed him around as much as her own chores would allow. Jeff chuckled at her devotion and fascination. She reminded him of himself, constantly curious. She seemed to watch each move he made with those dark, green-flecked eyes, and her gap-toothed smile was contagious.

Jeff realized that until recently, the girl likely followed her brother Hinto in much the same way. He was glad he could give her a distraction from what must have been a difficult transition, as Hinto left each day with the hunting parties and Maralah looked on.

But as busy as the days were, the nights were longer. Jeff was exhausted at the end of each day but found he slept little. He felt fortunate to have found a safe haven whenever this was, but he just wanted to get back to Bogg. And in the only quiet time he had, his mind turned over his options.

This evening, Abeytu looked at him in concern, feeling his forehead. She shook her head, went to the basket from which she'd retrieved the materials with which she'd treated Jeff's ankle, and drew out a powder. She mixed it in hot water and indicated Jeffrey should drink.

And that night, Jeff found, he did sleep. And he dreamed of Voyager Headquarters and the tour that he'd completed just before he and Bogg had returned to Pittsburgh and he suddenly found himself here. The time Trixie and Wendy had spent explaining Voyager tracking kept returning in the dream.

He woke in the very early morning, before the light, with an idea.


	26. Chapter 26

Voyager Headquarters

Bogg sat in a chair to the side of Omnitron Control, still watching the frenzy of activity but almost beyond caring. He tried to piece together how many days it had been since Jeffrey had disappeared before his eyes, and he wasn't even sure. And beyond one small clue from Wendy, there seemed to be no progress. He wanted something to do, but there was nothing, not without a place to look.

His eyes were entirely sunken at this point, and he rubbed them periodically. He was losing his ability to follow the activities around him, and a few times it seemed like Jeff was next to him, but reaching out he found it a mirage. At this point, even Bogg acknowledged he should sleep, but beyond nodding off in the chair periodically, he just couldn't. Even in those short bursts, he'd wake to see Jeff's still, quiet face as he was pulled from the Allegheny River, and he didn't want to see that again.

He barely noticed as Trixie sat next to him until she spoke, holding out a white bag.

"I brought you something to eat," she said. "And before you say you're not hungry, you should at least try. Making yourself sick isn't going to bring Jeffrey back more quickly. And you're not alone in this; we all want to find him."

"No, I'm not alone," Bogg said bitterly. "That would be Jeffrey."

Trixie just nodded. There wasn't much to say to that, and she thought of the boy's eagerness as he went through the library. She wanted to cry herself, so she couldn't imagine what Bogg was going through.

The exhausted man continued, "He could be anywhere, and we have records of it all, and there's still not even a hint. What if you can't find him? I told him I wouldn't leave him alone, and I don't have a way to fix it."

Suddenly, Trixie's blue eyes lit up. "Records! That's it. Phineas Bogg, you're a genius!" she kissed the top of his head and ran off.

A very confused Bogg stared after her. He looked at the bag, opened it and ate the sandwich inside. He couldn't have told you what it was. He didn't taste it.


	27. Chapter 27

Date unknown, 1000 A.D., along the Allegheny

Jeffrey Jones moved quietly from the longhouse and found a piece of the leather he'd been working a few days before. It was thin and sturdy, and it might work.

He whittled a stick down to a point. Then he mixed charcoal and some of the animal fat being rendered for soap into a small container. It was still dark, so he hoped he had enough time.

Using the embers of the fire for light, he dipped the point of the stick into the charcoal mixture and drew the best rendition of omni he could muster on the scrap of leather. He then started to write, describing the terrain, the weather and the activities of the settlement in detail. He carefully wrapped this piece of leather in another he knew had been treated for the harsh winter weather. He felt a bit of guilt, as he realized the tribe had counted on this for the season. But it seemed like his best chance, and he promised himself he'd help to prepare more.

Then Jeff left the settlement, still slightly limping, and found a niche that looked as if it might be sheltered from the weather. It was at least several hundred years before a Voyager might travel here, but Jeff still felt this was still his best chance. Leather could last a long time untouched by water. If the Omnitron could track recorded history, the best Jeff could do was to record it and hope someone found it. It was worth a shot, and he didn't have a better idea.

He got back to the settlement just as the sun came up, and Abeytu came running to him, speaking at him in a voice that reflected anger and annoyance. Nonetheless, she ruffled his hair, clearly relieved that whatever he'd been doing he was back now. But she pointed to the fire. Jeff realized that from her perspective, he'd been childish, and he would join the women and children in their activities.

He laughed as Maralah skipped over. She clearly was happy as she also realized that this was his punishment. She showed him how she was milling corn into meal, and he knew that he was dropping in what would be tribe status, at least for the day. But he was enjoying the company and didn't mind any work that was honest.

Payat again gave him a confused look. "Jeffrey," the man said, and indicated the boy should come over. Payat gestured that Jeffrey should try the bow. Jeff shot at the target, and the man nodded. Jeff thought that the nod meant he was improving. Payat smiled at him, gesturing at the boy to keep practicing and then heading to join the day's hunting party.

Abeytu watched the boy practice for a bit, then gestured him over. Jeff might not know the words, but he knew the tone. It was definitely another scold, and he suspected he was being told not to wander off in the dark ever again and that in the meantime he should get to work.

Jeff nodded in contrition and moved forward to mill the corn. Maralah giggled. Jeff couldn't resist returning her smile.


	28. Chapter 28

Voyager Headquarters, Archives

Trixie Mahoney waved her ID to access the archives and grabbed a flashlight as she walked into the vast space. Her gut told her she was going deeper in than she ever had.

She thought back to the day she spent here with Jeffrey, explaining to him that the Voyagers here had access to the entire of recorded history. But it was only recorded history; she'd have to hope he remembered.

"Jeffrey, baby, come on; give me something. Write it down," she said aloud. "I think we can find you if you just write it down."

She held the flashlight up as she got into the greatest depths of the archives. This might have been hours, she really didn't know. The flashlight created strange patterns in the dust, and Trixie was coughing regularly. It was hard to say the last time anyone had gotten this far back into these shelves.

She had to scour the shelves for an hour before she saw anything. But there, as she pointed the flashlight into a corner, was a small leather scroll with writing that seemed anachronistic for the time. The piece was marked as an unconfirmed record of the Native Americans of the United States, found by a Voyager in the earliest stages of the continent's recorded history, which began only after the arrival of Europeans. The Voyager who submitted it had no idea what it could mean but thought it should be in the archives. Trixie wanted to find and hug whoever that was. That wasn't recorded for this lonely little document. But maybe, Trixie thought, she'd be able to hug Jeff for thinking so clearly and remembering so much.

"That's right, Jeff, we can scan recorded history."

She spoke into her communicator: "I need archivists with specialization in ancient leather, and I need them now. I think I might have something on the Jones case."

The deep inhale of breath on the other end told her that the tech understood, and Trixie waited for a team.

"Oh, and don't spread the news, as yet, please," Trixie said, knowing how quickly word and gossip spread through the Voyager community. "I don't want to get hopes up."

But Trixie admitted to herself that hers were. It took all of her training to resist the urge to grab that piece of leather and run back to Omnitron Control. But she was afraid it would degrade at her touch, and then she'd never forgive herself. And her entire team might gang up to kill her, besides. And that would be before Bogg got to her. She waited.


	29. Chapter 29

Voyager Headquarters, Archives

The team of archivists arrived and they were thorough and slow as they started to preserve the document.

"Mostly slow," Trixie thought irritably.

The team of four wore gloves as they gently moved the piece of leather to a glass case. They discussed the correct temperature and level of moisture for what seemed like hours.

At last, after what seemed like an eternity to Trixie, they rolled out the leather so that it could be read through the glass and motioned her over.

Trixie laughed out loud. There was no mistaking this was a message. An omni! Jeffrey had clearly learned his subtlety from Bogg. But there was no doubt, Trixie thought, that the boy had kept his head, describing relevant information about the climate and environment in which he found himself.

"Don't suppose we can just take it to Control?" she asked.

Franklin Green, the team's leader, looked at her. "I wouldn't. I'm surprised it didn't disintegrate just getting it this far."

Trixie nodded. "It didn't. Thank God. And thank you for getting it out of there in one piece."

Green just nodded. "It's my job. So this is the kid Voyager's work? It's pretty good, considering."

Trixie nodded and impatiently pulled out an electronic notebook and to record what she saw before her. Her hands were shaking. Jeff had done his part, and they had to find him now. They just had to.

She entered the information in front of her and full stop toward Control.


	30. Chapter 30

Voyager Headquarters, Omnitron Control

"Wendy!" Trixie yelled as she came into the room.

Wendy turned and shook her head. Was the woman skipping?

"I think I have something. Something on Jeffrey," Trixie said as she ran up to the station. Wendy suddenly understood the skipping. She almost felt like joining in.

"I found a record. Can this help? He recorded the history. His history; their history. Is it enough? He worked so hard." Trixie said desperately as she handed an electronic device to Wendy.

Wendy looked at the data and smiled and then turned to enter information into the Omnitron.

"Guess we'll see. Get Dan. Try to make sure Phineas Bogg stays in his chair, though. I'm not sure yet," Wendy said. "And I sure as hell don't want to tell him we have another false lead. I'm not sure which of us would be least likely to survive. But, Trix, good work. I'm really hoping for the first time in several days. Not that I like to admit it, but I was about done with ideas."

Trixie smiled. "Recorded history. He paid attention."

Wendy laughed. "He would. Let's hope he gave us enough."

Trixie returned in a moment; Dan running behind her. He looked at the data on the screen for a few minutes and let out a "whoop!"

Phineas Bogg, nearly unconscious in his chair, heard the cry. "Whoops of joy," Jeptha had promised. Bogg ran to the Omnitron, suddenly wide awake.

"Oh, my God, you found him! You found him, didn't you?"

"I think so," Wendy said, grinning from ear to ear. "Where were you last?"

"Pittsburgh," Bogg said.

"OK," Wendy said. "The terrain fits; the history seems to. Yeah, I think we can lock on this. But … without him having an omni, we'll need to send someone in after him. It's not rock solid. I think I have him, but there's no way to get specifics when he traveled with … whatever he traveled with."

"What do you mean someone?" Bogg looked at her in confusion.

"Phin," Dan said. "You're not in the best shape right now, and we don't know what you'll find. It might be best if you left it to a retrieval team."

"It's my kid," Bogg replied. "I go. Whatever I find, I need to see him."

Dan nodded, looking into Bogg's eyes. The man was in pain but not in denial.

"Wendy, get the lock. Let's be ready," Lang said.


	31. Chapter 31

Date unknown, 1000 A.D., along the Allegheny

Jeff awoke abruptly, hearing loud voices around him. He sat up, and Payat handed him a bow and several arrows. The man gestured toward the door of the longhouse, and then Payat ran out of the building.

Jeff ran from the longhouse to see men running for the settlement and recalled the Tartar camp and the attack by the Karanas. He tried to find a good vantage from which to observe and, if necessary, shoot. He hoped he'd improved as much as Payat's confidence suggested.

There was chaos in the normally cheerful center of the compound. Abeytu, Halona and the other women were gathering the children into a single unit and guiding them to safety in the longhouse. Jeff nodded to himself. By the standards of this culture, he was no child, and he was expected to help to defend the settlement. He wouldn't be protected; he was to be a protector. He felt honored but very alone.

He saw Hinto run past him and settle into the fork of some tree branches. Seemed like a good idea, so Jeff found a similar perch and watched warily. Jeff was relieved as he noted this seemed more a skirmish than the slaughter the Karanas had wrought. Nonetheless, it seemed there were arrows everywhere, and Jeffrey was as scared as he'd been since he first arrived.

He felt something tug at the buckskin apron at his waist. Maralah looked up at him with her green-flecked eyes. "Jeffrey."

"Maralah, no, what are you doing here? You need to go back with your mom," Jeff said, pointing to the longhouse. As an arrow hit the girl, he leapt from the tree. She looked at him, wide-eyed and startled. "Jeffrey," she said again.

He lifted her over his shoulder and ran toward the longhouse. For the first time in days, he didn't notice his ankle.


	32. Chapter 32

Date unknown, 1000 A.D., along the Allegheny

Abeytu ran to the door of the longhouse, clearly looking for her child. She saw Jeffrey running back with the girl over his shoulder and cried out, "Maralah!"

Jeff reached the door and carried the child inside. He took his pocketknife and cut the arrow closer to her body and held his hands over the wound to staunch the bleeding. Should he pull it out? He thought he'd remembered something about that making the bleeding worse, but then it seemed as if this would cause a sure infection.

Abeytu looked on, hesitant for just a moment before she stepped forward. She pulled the arrow, tossing it aside, and Jeff was extraordinarily grateful to have that decision made. He continued to put pressure on the girl's side. Abeytu went to her basket.

She returned with what appeared to be moss and some sort of bark. She wrapped it into cloth and handed it to Jeffrey, nodding at him to continue the pressure on the girl's side. He was soaked with blood but relieved to see Maralah's wound had stopped its steady flow.

Abeytu returned with a cup and sat the girl up to drink. Maralah drank, so she wasn't dead, Jeff thought. That was something, and as Jeff smiled, he noted the girl returned it.

Abeytu gestured toward the door. Jeffrey gathered his task was complete, and he was expected to return to man's work now. He took his bow and nodded. He did not know if Bogg would ever find him, but he did know that in the meantime, these were his people, and he owed them something.

Still, going out to face this skirmish, he wished Bogg would just find him already. But there was no time to cry or even roll over.

He went back to his perch on the tree, and shot at least one of the oncoming invaders. He was proud, he guessed, but sorry, too. He hoped whoever it was pulled through. His ankle was suddenly throbbing worse than ever, and as the other tribe ran off from the wall of posts surrounding this village, he didn't even notice the strange whistling noise. But he did hear the happy voices of the men around him.

Hinto came over and gave Jeff an approving glance, his first. Jeff wanted to be happy at that, but instead just wished for home. And he realized that sometime in the past year, that had come to mean not New York, 1982, but Bogg.

He jumped awkwardly from the tree where he'd settled and went to check on Maralah. She seemed well, looking up at him with her gap-toothed grin. "Jeffrey," she said.

And, as always, he could only smile back. But he wanted to cry.


	33. Chapter 33

Date unknown, 1000 A.D., along the Allegheny

Bogg knew enough to know that whatever he'd landed in the middle of was just about over. The men around him were on the run from the nearby settlement. He hoped that was a good thing, but his only real concern was if Jeff was really here. And if he was, did he survive whatever this was?

He ran toward the settlement. Jeff's records indicated he'd been brought to one. This was clearly autumn. If the journal, Wendy's coding and his briefings had been correct, Jeffrey should be on the other side of these posts.

Bogg was exhausted, a bit reckless and ran for the opening of the settlement, faced by two strong guards, he actually started to laugh. "I can see why they didn't think I should come," he thought.

He pointed inside the gate. "Jeffrey," he said. "I just want my kid. Jeffrey."

The men looked at each other, and while one watched him carefully, the other went off. For the moment waiting seemed like the best idea, even if Bogg wanted to tear down those posts.

The guard came in as both Abeytu and Jeff focused on Maralah. The guard pointed at the boy and spoke to Abeytu. There was rush of talk in which the only word Jeff recognized was "Jeffrey."

Abeytu gestured to Jeff to follow the guard, and he looked hesitant, keeping his eyes on Maralah. Abeytu nodded and gestured again.

Reluctantly, Jeff followed the guard.

They came to the gates, and then Jeff saw.

"Bogg!" he shouted. "It's you. It's really you!"

"Yeah, kid, it's me. I told you I'd find you wherever and whenever, right?"

He noticed Jeff's limp as the boy ran to him. The child was covered in blood and mud, and yet Bogg didn't think he'd ever been happier in an embrace than when the boy threw himself into his arms.

"By the way, you pretty much found yourself, so the next time I complain about smart kids, just remind me. I really thought I'd lost you this time, and I didn't know what to do," Bogg said, hugging the child tightly and burying his face in his hair.

"Bad penny, Bogg."

"Yeah, and you'd better always turn up," Bogg said as he hit the omni.

--30--


End file.
